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Rajaion's Revelation:Chapter One
Disclaimer I do not own Fire Emblem, and if I did this would be an actual scene. Author's Note: Introduction Not much intro needed. Just get to reading, you'll figure it out! Chapter Body Melior Castle may have been pretty wrecked from the invasion, the occupation, and the final battle that recently took place, but at least it was big. That meant that it was possible to find a room somewhere with a bed that was in decent shape. This is where the leaders of the Crimean Liberation Army found themselves once again gathered together a few days after the final battle. Finding out about Rajaion had caused quite a stir amongst the assembled Crimean, Begnion, Phoenician, and Gallian armies. Even the few Daeins who were still around were shocked to find out the true identity of the Mad King’s mount. Rajaion, for his part, wasn’t in any shape to address the concerns of the masses: ever since the herons had sung him the galdr of rebirth, he had been struggling to heal both his mind and body. Reyson, Leanne, Rhys, Mist and a few other healers had been doing what they could to improve his condition, but that was sometimes difficult as his sanity would still come and go. Ena also stayed by his side constantly, and was sometimes the only thing stopping him from killing innocent bystanders, or killing himself from overexertion. Finally, on the third day, the feral drug had flushed from his system enough that when he passed out, he shifted back to his biped from. It was at this point that he was moved to a bed inside the castle—but still one with a big balcony on one side so he could escape if he felt trapped. But it turned out that the precaution was unneeded, as his fever finally broke, infections started to clear up, and the withdrawal symptoms finished running their course. No longer delirious with pain, he was much more coherent now and Ena was reassured enough in his health that she allowed the Liberation Army’s leaders to come and meet with him. Ike, Soren, Elincia, Bastian, Tanith, Giffca, Ranulf, Tibarn, Naesala, Reyson, and Leanne were now gathered alongside Ena and Nasir around the dragon prince’s bedside. “Hey,” Ike began softly. “Sorry about all that…” He gestured vaguely with his hands. “…you know.” “I know.” Rajaion replied, wincing from the flashback of Ike’s sword tearing through his flesh. But then he made an effort to smile at the apologetic general and added, “It’s all right, though. My own pain is a small price to pay for defeating Ashnard.” Ike nodded in acknowledgement and agreement. He opened his mouth to speak again, but Elincia chimed in, stopping Ike from rambling on and potentially saying something stupid. “We are all so happy to see you recovering. If there’s anything I can do to aid in your recovery, please don’t hesitate to ask. Crimea will do all we can to help you.” “I appreciate it,” Rajaion replied politely, “and I’m sure my father will, too, when I return home.” Everyone made noises of approval, excited by the possibility of opening up relations with Goldoa, but trying very hard not to seem overexcited. A silence stretched on in the room, no one knowing exactly what to say next, but still feeling as though more should be said. Finally, Tibarn broke the silence. “I know this may be ill-timed, your highness, but I think we all want to know…” he glanced around to encompass the rest of the group, “how did you end up in Daein in the first place?” Ena’s hand clenched tightly over her mate’s. He closed his eyes and sighed. “I knew this would come up sooner or later. It isn’t a very pleasant tale, nor is it simple. But,” he opened his eyes and scanned the faces of his guests, “you all, as representatives of your respective countries, deserve to know. “It was a little over twenty or so years ago when my sister got fed up with father’s rules and ran away. She ran not just from the castle, but from the entire country as well, seeking to learn what things were like in the countries other than Goldoa. She didn’t contact us for years, so we had thought her gone for good, but finally she DID send word: she had made it all the way across Tellius to Daein in her travels. But, being royalty and accustomed to being treated as such, she couldn’t simply settle down and pretend to be a commoner, but she also didn’t want to come back to Goldoa. So she had revealed her identity to the king of Daein and been provided with accommodations suiting her station. According to her message, she was content there, and the king was very nice to her. …It would become apparent later that she must have fallen in love with him. “But this isn’t really a love story. I don’t know how it happened, how she really felt, or how he won her over, only that my sister Almedha became pregnant with his child. And this king, if you haven’t already figured, was Mad King Ashnard. Apparently, despite his obsession with folklore, he never did the proper research on beorc-laguz hybrid children. He had assumed that the baby she carried would possess the power of the black dragon tribe and be able to transform like its mother, but he couldn’t have been more wrong. As I hope you already know, such children cannot transform, and the laguz parent loses their ability to transform as well. Normally this would help the couple raise their child on equal footing, so the entire family has the same special abilities, but Ashnard did not see it that way. In his eyes, he had been banking on having two black dragons of his own, but ended up with none. “Despite his insanity and anger issues, no one could ever say that King Ashnard was not a clever man. He decided that the only way to recoup his losses was to hold the princess and her baby hostage, and send word back to Goldoa. King Dheginsea, my father, was most upset, I assure you, but as always he stuck by his principles and refused to strike a deal with that human scum. “But me…I was more easily swayed. I, too, went against my father’s wishes and left Goldoa. I thought that I would be able to rescue my sister and her infant son from that madman… But I did not succeed. Ashnard’s men were ready for me, and they captured me. It is with great shame that I admit this, but I must. I was cocky and overconfident in my abilities, and I was defeated. “I don’t remember much after that. I became a test subject for that foul concoction, and then saddled like a common wyvern. I suppose you know the rest.” The prince kept his face hidden in shame. Ena began trying to console him. “But…where is the princess now?” asked Giffca. Rajaion looked up again. “I don’t know. I never even saw her… Ena?” It was the pink dragon’s turn to address the group. “When Rajaion left, I followed shortly after. But by the time I reached Daein, it was too late for me to save him. I did manage a little luck, though, because Ashnard saw that he could force my loyalty without drugging me. I became an advisor for him and his Four Riders, just so I could stay close to Rajaion. I wasn’t allowed to see Princess Almedha either, but I heard around the Keep that she was sent away to live in a castle in another part of Daein. If Ashnard thought he could find another use for her, he would have kept her alive.” Naesala’s eyebrows quirked. “So she could still be alive, then? Somewhere in Daein? My sources haven’t turned up any details, but I can look more closely into it…” Tibarn glared at the untrustworthy raven king. “My people will make a sweep as well. It would be wonderful if some good could come of this horrid war.” Leanne also spoke up, and Reyson translated for the benefit of the beorc: “And what of the child?” Rajaion, now looking much more worn out and ready to sleep again, still answered, though his voice was weak and pained. “When I arrived at the castle, Ashnard was holding the baby. He used his own son as a shield to keep me from attacking! He flaunted the child in front of me, taunting me for coming all that way and sacrificing my freedom for a half-breed who wouldn’t even live out the day. He said he was going to kill the baby once he had me…” The group shifted uncomfortably. They could all sympathize with the loss of a family member. “…But you’re not dead, are you?” Rajaion continued in a whisper, this time staring straight at Soren. “I saw the baby Ashnard was holding. He had a mark on his forehead, just like that”—he pointed to the Brand on Soren’s forehead—“''You'' are the lost heir, aren’t you? The Parentless Prince of Daein and Goldoa…” There was a collective gasp as everyone turned to look at their army’s tactician. Soren, for his part, wasn’t speechless, not precisely. “What?!? No!!” he snapped angrily. “…I don’t know!” The sage whirled around and stormed out the door in a flurry of black cloak before anyone else could react. “Soren!” Ike’s shout rang out just as the door was closing. “I--” the commander glanced around the room at everyone. “I’ll go talk to him, I guess. And, Rajaion, don’t be offended. He’s, uh, just really sensitive about his parents. Or, you know, lack thereof.” The swordsman shrugged and ran off to try to catch up to his friend. Author's Note: Conclusion So there you have it. This will be a three-shot. Other chapters up soon. Chapter 2